Every day of my life is a new beginning. The opportunity to achieve, produce, improve, or just plain live is enhanced by occupying a physical body that is fit and strong. Even when a day has been wasted in whatever way it was misspent, there is the likelihood that there are more days remaining to make up for lost time than there used to be.
It is not enough, however, to simply work, play, and fulfill obligations with the renewed vigor that each day brings. There are and always will be improvements to make in all parts of life. It is a MUST to have goals to pursue. To this end, organization and structure of one's time is necessary. Consistent study and practice are the only way to achieve any endeavor.
So what are my major goals and objectives? In the physical realm, training for increased strength and fitness is always top priority. This, in turn, enhances my performance in all things physical and mental. Bowling is my number one physical passion. It is no coincidence that while I'm by light-years in the best physical condition of my life, my skills as a bowler are the best they've ever been and getting better. The stronger and fitter I become, the more finely tuned and controlled my game gets. Better push-off step, stronger release, more extended follow-through, etc. It all adds up to (usually) stellar results.
In the arena of the mental, my main interests are chess and mathematics. These are areas that require study time that I am highly in need of organizing. It is my desire to renew and relearn calculus from the self-teaching manuals I have acquired. Also, I have been wanting to become as proficient as possible with Microsoft Office 2010 software as possible. Obviously, a regular study and practice time schedule is necessary for those pursuits while procrastination must be put to an end.
There is a requirement for fitness and strength in tournament chess as well. If you spend the time and money it takes to compete in tourneys, then you need stamina to exert the mental energy required to play serious, contested, and often very lengthy matches. It stands to reason that the fitter you are, the clearer and more focused your mind becomes. At times I am in high form and playing strong, but usually my play is erratic and inconsistent. Organized study time needs to be applied here as well.
With physical and mental competition and educational pursuits desire, discipline, organization, and determination are what it takes to become the best me (and you) that I (and you) can be.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Are Pro Bowlers Athletes?
Are pro bowlers athletes?
You have heard that question before, and you will hear it again and again.
The PBA official yearbook tells us that within a 42 game tournament, players will lift more than five tons, carrying it for a total of two miles while projecting the ball more than 700 times at an average speed of 17 mph at a target 60 feet away.
Dictionaries tell us that an athlete is one who contends for a prize. The word books also define an athlete as anyone trained or fit to contend in exercises requiring physical agility, stamina, and often strength.
The pro bowler fits. Though strength is helpful and even necessary at times, the type needed in pro bowling is not the brute strength so needed in the heavy contact sports.
In pro bowling, timing, coordination, and a delicate touch at times add up to a high degree of fitness to go along with measured force to score consistently. However, pro bowling takes rhythm, balance, and skilled muscular effort. The muscles must be supple and toned, always in shape, but not necessarily rock hard.
A pro bowler must be highly competitive. He pays to play, unlike baseball, football, basketball and other players who are paid to play. The bowler's pay is what he wins, and he cashes well only with superior performances.
Dedication is a must for any successful athlete. A pro bowler must spend long hours for many years perfectly maintaining and adjusting his skills. Too many times a pro bowler is classed with the average fun bowler.
That's akin to equating a touch football game at a picnic with the Super Bowl and a company softball game with the World Series.
A pro bowler rolls more games in a week than the average bowler rolls in a year. He probably spends more time in actual competition than any other sports performer. A pro bowler is firing away on the lanes more than seven hours a day. The total time involved, back and forth between squads, preparation (checking equipment and studying lane conditions) can more often than not add up to a 12 hour day.
There's no relaxing at any stage. Each and every roll of the ball counts since the total score takes in every game. There must be the utmost ability to concentrate under constant pressure, on TV, and in a sport where you're always in a crowd, yet always all alone.
Spectators are only a few feet away from the competing bowlers. You sit next to other bowlers, yet it's you against the conditions and the pins. No teammate to help, nobody to coach or instruct once you're on that approach. You roll your way out of trouble or wait until the next time.
Pro bowling has become a sophisticated and scientific sport. You must adjust practically every game to every lane. You must learn about equipment, lane surfaces, lane finishes, lane dressings, and other variables, each in themselves worthy of deep study and plenty of homework. The sport looks simple. It is simple to play, difficult to master, impossible to conquer. Each higher average plateau is a new challenge, tougher in every way, and the pro side is the highest peak.
There are millions upon millions of bowlers. Only a few thousand average really high while those good enough to make a living at the sport can be counted in the hundreds.
Is a pro bowler an athlete? If you rate physical contact and brute strength at the top of your list, the answer is an emphatic no. But if you add up the definite skills and knowledge, physical and mental, necessary to success, there is little doubt that a pro bowler must be ranked as an outstanding athlete.
You have heard that question before, and you will hear it again and again.
The PBA official yearbook tells us that within a 42 game tournament, players will lift more than five tons, carrying it for a total of two miles while projecting the ball more than 700 times at an average speed of 17 mph at a target 60 feet away.
Dictionaries tell us that an athlete is one who contends for a prize. The word books also define an athlete as anyone trained or fit to contend in exercises requiring physical agility, stamina, and often strength.
The pro bowler fits. Though strength is helpful and even necessary at times, the type needed in pro bowling is not the brute strength so needed in the heavy contact sports.
In pro bowling, timing, coordination, and a delicate touch at times add up to a high degree of fitness to go along with measured force to score consistently. However, pro bowling takes rhythm, balance, and skilled muscular effort. The muscles must be supple and toned, always in shape, but not necessarily rock hard.
A pro bowler must be highly competitive. He pays to play, unlike baseball, football, basketball and other players who are paid to play. The bowler's pay is what he wins, and he cashes well only with superior performances.
Dedication is a must for any successful athlete. A pro bowler must spend long hours for many years perfectly maintaining and adjusting his skills. Too many times a pro bowler is classed with the average fun bowler.
That's akin to equating a touch football game at a picnic with the Super Bowl and a company softball game with the World Series.
A pro bowler rolls more games in a week than the average bowler rolls in a year. He probably spends more time in actual competition than any other sports performer. A pro bowler is firing away on the lanes more than seven hours a day. The total time involved, back and forth between squads, preparation (checking equipment and studying lane conditions) can more often than not add up to a 12 hour day.
There's no relaxing at any stage. Each and every roll of the ball counts since the total score takes in every game. There must be the utmost ability to concentrate under constant pressure, on TV, and in a sport where you're always in a crowd, yet always all alone.
Spectators are only a few feet away from the competing bowlers. You sit next to other bowlers, yet it's you against the conditions and the pins. No teammate to help, nobody to coach or instruct once you're on that approach. You roll your way out of trouble or wait until the next time.
Pro bowling has become a sophisticated and scientific sport. You must adjust practically every game to every lane. You must learn about equipment, lane surfaces, lane finishes, lane dressings, and other variables, each in themselves worthy of deep study and plenty of homework. The sport looks simple. It is simple to play, difficult to master, impossible to conquer. Each higher average plateau is a new challenge, tougher in every way, and the pro side is the highest peak.
There are millions upon millions of bowlers. Only a few thousand average really high while those good enough to make a living at the sport can be counted in the hundreds.
Is a pro bowler an athlete? If you rate physical contact and brute strength at the top of your list, the answer is an emphatic no. But if you add up the definite skills and knowledge, physical and mental, necessary to success, there is little doubt that a pro bowler must be ranked as an outstanding athlete.
Idle Bowling Thoughts
By Chuck Pezzano
Bowling World March 2013 Issue
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Ch Ch Ch Changes!
So here is a sample of some of the many, many ways life has changed for the better since the weight came off:
Athletically:
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I'm no drummer; it's my buddy's set. It's fun to try. But one song and I would sweat like there's no tomorrow.
Athletically:
- I hadn't done a push-up since 8th grade. Even then, I only did one and with great difficulty. Just before my recent surgeries, I was doing 20 full range of motion, chest to the ground, straight-backed push-ups at a time. And I'll be back to that as training progresses and my strength returns.
- At my worst, climbing a flight of stairs left me winded. Walking as far as a quarter of a mile was exhausting. These days I am routinely taking 3-5 mile walks without breathing hard. It's a great way to collect my thoughts, develop ideas, or just clear my head of the day's stress.
- In my 20's, my bowling average was in the low to mid 180's. I thought I was a real hot shot at the time. When I got to my heaviest weight, I wasn't bowling at all because I couldn't get out of my own way. Currently my average is 205 and the sport is more enjoyable than I could've imagined. This level of ability could only be attained as a result of my training.
- One unforgettable moment was the first time I slid into a booth at a restaurant. For decades there was no choice except to sit at a table on a chair that perilously held up my bulk. Now, when I do dine out, I PREFER to sit at a booth and marvel at the space between me and the table's edge.
- Driving used to be an absolute chore. First, I had to carefully wedge myself into the car. As my middle crowded the steering wheel, steering was a challenge. Then getting out was the toughest as I had to push myself up after dislodging from the driver's seat. And, of course, I had to park with enough clearance to be able to get out without hitting the car next to me with the door...or my body. Now I can easily get in the driver's seat of any car, big or small. It's a wonderful feeling!
- Being on an airplane was total embarrassment. I dreaded asking for a seat belt extension. And I was always the guy nobody wanted to be stuck sitting next to. In October 2010 I flew to Las Vegas with family members. As soon as we boarded, I insisted on having my picture taken as I easily fit into the seat and actually CINCHED UP the seat belt!
- At amusement parks, I had the mortifying experience of having to get off the roller coaster when the bar couldn't fully come down. The last time I went, it was pure joy as the bar clicked into place and we whisked away.
- When the need to use a public restroom arose, my only option was to use the more spacious handicapped stall. The regular stalls left me no room to maneuver if I could actually get into them at all. And I won't even get into what was necessary to clean up afterward. Well, no more of that. I'm slim enough and flexible enough to do whatever I need to do in the closest of quarters.
- I used to have a raging case of sleep apnea. When sharing lodging with someone, I could snore a person right out of the room. Many times I woke MYSELF up with my snoring. These days I'm getting quiet, quality sleep that is only interrupted when my bladder insists.
- Headaches of varying intensity would plague me at least once a week. At times I would wake up with one. There was always a bottle of Advil on my headboard within arm's reach. Lately, I can't even remember the last time I had more than a mild hint of any real head pain.
- At age 13, I hyper extended my knee. Eventually, I developed 2 "trick knees" that would do their tricks doing the most mundane things. This was because I tried to do things and play sports that my weight would not accommodate me for. And every time it happened, it hurt like hell! I'd wrench a knee stepping off a curb, swinging a baseball bat, swinging my leg to kick something, whatever. There is now some arthritis in my left knee and it twinges on me quite often, but as long as I'm careful, my knees are sturdy and there's been no real threat of any new injury.
+08-2003.png)
I'm no drummer; it's my buddy's set. It's fun to try. But one song and I would sweat like there's no tomorrow.
I've said it before and it bears repeating: It took me 2 years to reach my goal weight and another 6 months to reach my record low. But it was SO worth it! I'll bet if you need to drop weight, it won't take that long. The time is going to pass whether you do something about it or not. So a year from now, will you be in a beautiful new place...or just another year older? Your choice.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
How Time Flies!
It has been 4 years to the day since I walked into that gym and unexpectedly began this magical mystery tour which has happily turned my life upside-down (or should I say right-side up). In many ways 4 years can seem like a very long time. For me, it has been a less than 8% sliver of my life that has fast-forwarded me to the best part.
Yes, I did all the work and lost all the extra hundreds of pounds that I’d been packing on for close to 50 years. But if not for the kind-hearted professionals who took me in and showed me how to do it, I’m certain I wouldn’t be around to write this or any other post.
In my mind, there are very few events that happen purely by accident. People come along in our lives seemingly by chance and make an impact that we couldn’t begin to imagine. My belief is that for most of us these special, life-changing individuals are divinely placed to prompt us into fulfilling a major purpose.
All this being said, I can only theorize that languishing in super-obesity for over 90% of my life was meant to serve as an example of how a person can come out of an awful life situation and change into a more positive existence. How ironic that not so long ago I didn’t much care about what the future held. This is certainly no longer my attitude towards life. Now, if it is meant to be that there is something even better and more challenging on the horizon that all the past has been preparing me for, then let’s get TO it!
Notice how in the first 3 photos I'm constantly hovering around food. Do I look happy?
Now check out these pics. No food around. Do I look happy? 
One last silly bragging little thing (just can't help myself). Another dream bowling night last night. 279+234+228=741 series! The point is before, I wasn't even trying to do the things I love to do. Now everything's off the charts...in a good way!
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